Council of Cardinals, Day 2 report

At 1:00pm local time today in Rome, the Director of the Vatican Press Office, Father Frederico Lombardi held a Briefing regarding the meeting which Pope Francis is holding in these days with the Council of Cardinals.

Yesterday, the Pope was present for the afternoon portion of the meeting.  This morning, His Holiness participated until the latter part of the morning and then left for his audience with the participants at the Convention on Pacem in terris which is being held at the Vatican.

The Council of Cardinals worked yesterday on the theme of reform in the Curia.  The aim is not toward a simple implementation of the Constitution Pastor bonus with slight modifications and marginal adjustments, but toward a Constitution with consistent revisions: in effect, a new Constitution.

Among the considerations being considered by the Council particularly evident is the intention to put into evidence the nature of service on the part of the Curia toward the universal Church as well as the local Churches, more so than the perception of a centralized government.

A particularly important theme of course is the functioning and the role of service provided by the Secretariat of State, which should be in effect the Pope’s secretariat.

The reflections provided by the Council are particularly useful to the Holy Father, especially regarding the orientation that he wants to provide for the new Secretary of State who will begin his service within the coming weeks, most probably on or about October 15.

Also considered at yesterday’s meeting were reports shared between the Heads of Dicasteries and the Pope and though coordination between various Dicasteries and Vatican offices.  In this context, some consideration was also given to the possible introduction of a Moderator of the Curia and what this person’s function might entail.

As to a possible reordering of the institutions charged with the administration of temporal goods, the Council touched on these questions, but not in any depth, preferring to wait for the Pope’s Commissions referring to these institutions to present the fruit of their labour.

One of the subjects for which the members of the Council received many requests as a result of their consultations in various parts of the world was that of the laity.  The Cardinals spoke about how to endure that this dimension of the reality of the Church may be more adequately and effectively recognized and followed by the governing structures of the Church.

Today, the Council is continuing its considerations of various questions, including those already put before them on Tuesday concerning the Synod of Bishops, further studying this topic in order to assist the Pope who in the coming days will be considering the theme of the next Synod and how it should be implemented.

The meeting of the Council of Cardinals will conclude after this afternoon’s deliberations.